GUEST: Hans Bennett, Philadelphia based photo-journalist who has been documenting the free-Mumia movement

Nearly 25 years ago, on December 9th, 1981, a young journalist named Mumia Abu-Jamal was arrested in Philadelphia in connection with the murder of a police officer. Abu-Jamal was convicted of the murder and sentenced to death a year later, in a trial that Amnesty International recently declared, was a “violation of minimum international standards that govern fair trial procedures and the use of the death penalty.” Mumia Abu Jamal is widely considered to be a political prisoner and his supporters include the Japanese Diet, the European Parliament, and members of the British and German Parliaments. In 2003, he was declared an honorary citizen of Paris, the first since Pablo Picasso was similarly honored in the 1970s. And in April of this year, the Paris suburb of St. Denis named a major street after Abu-Jamal. Yesterday, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution denouncing the street naming. Supporters of Mumia are organizing for December 9th of this year to mark the 25th anniversary of his arrest in Philadelphia.

Indymedia.org

Website Feature on Mumia

An excellent resource with several links to information about where Mumia's case stands right now.